Ribs deserve a great sauce - recipes

Sunset, July, 1991

Dress up ribs with a flavorful sauce. Choose from a penetrating marinade that can be thickened for a baste, a sticky spicy glaze, and a thick pesto topping. All the sauces can be used interchangeably on beef, pork, or lamb ribs. For information on choosing and cooking ribs, turn to pages 58 to 61.

Asian-seasoned Barbecue Sauce
This sauce doubles as a marinade and
baste. Use it to marinate about 4 pounds
raw or precooked ribs in a heavy plastic
bag set in a baking pan; chill at least 30
minutes or up until the next day. Lift ribs
from marinade, reserving marinade. If
desired, cook marinade with cornstarch
to make a barbecue baste or thickened
sauce to spoon over cooked ribs.
  Check an Asian market to find the mirin
(sweetened sake) and miso (fermented soy
bean paste) or bean sauce.
1/2 cup mirin or cream sherry
 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 cup each orange juice and soy
      sauce
1/4  cup shiro miso or bean sauce
      (optional)
1/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch  optional)

To make marinade, mix mirin, peel, juice, soy sauce, miso, sugar, and ginger. To make a baste or thickened sauce, mix fresh or reserved marinade (preceding) with cornstarch. In a 1 - to 1 1/2-quart pan, stir mixture over high heat until it boils, about 4 minutes. Use hot or cool. If made ahead, cover and chill up to 4 days. Makes about 2 cups.

Per tablespoon: 22cal.;O.3g protein; Og fat,4. 1 g carbo.; 258 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Sticky Spicy Barbecue Sauce
This sweet sauce browns to a thick sticky
glaze as it cooks. Generously baste ribs; it
coats 5 to 6 pounds.
  Look for hoisin sauce in the Asian food
section of your supermarket.
1/2 cup each catsup and hoisin sauce
1/4 cup each lemon juice and sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon
    and ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
l/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix together catsup, hoisin sauce, lemon juice, sugar, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, and cloves. If made ahead, cover and chill up to 4 days. Makes 1 1/2 cups. Per tablespoon: 23cal.; 0.4gprotein; 0. 1 gfat(O g sat.), 5.5 g carbo.; 230 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Herb Pesto Sauce
Thickly spread this green sauce on about
3 pounds well-browned ribs. Just before
serving, brush with more sauce.
2 cups (about 3 oz.) packed fresh
     basilleaves
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh oregano
     leaves or 1 tablespoon dry
     oregano leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
     or 1 tablespoon dry rosemary
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a food processor or blender, whirl basil, green onion, oregano, parmesan, vinegar, oil, rosemary, and pepper until smooth. If made ahead, cover and chill up until the next day. Makes about 1 cup. Per tablespoon: 26 cal.; 0. 7 g protein; 2.2 g fat (0.5g sat.); 1.2g carbo.;24mg sodium; lmg chol.